WARRENVILLE, S.C. () — A young man shot and killed in Warrenville early Sunday morning. His family is shattered — and still waiting for answers.

“That call was the worst phone call I’ve ever received. I, I’d be so scared to pick up a phone,” Brittany Sheppard said.

18-year-old Tranard Sheppard. His family called him Nard. His rap name was Baby Nard. To his mother Brittany — he was so much more. “He said, ‘Mama, when I make a lot of money with my rap career, I’m gonna buy you a car’. I said, ‘boy, I want a house,” she said laughing. You know, that was my baby. That IS my baby.”

“And to say he was 18, he still drank the Mott’s for Tots Apple juice and ate animal crackers. He loved animal crackers.,” Aunt Santana Bush added.

The laughter helps them cope. Sunday Aiken County deputies responded to shots fired near Sarah and Farrell Streets in Warrenville. They found Nard in a yard — shot multiple times. His dad heard the shots, tried to help — but had to duck after the third one.

“When he came and he found his son finally, my son was taking his last breath. So my heart, my heart is broken. I can’t get him back,” Brittany shared.

His mom says a friend who was supposed to watch him — didn’t. “A so-called friend came, came in on a Friday and my son was gone Sunday morning,” she said.

The shooting came weeks after he lost two brothers in a crash. He was pulling back, focusing on home — helping to take care of his seven siblings.

“And he has a niece coming and he was very excited about her. Her name is Aya. And he couldn’t wait for her to come,” Bush said.

As they plan his funeral, they’re working to keep his voice alive through his music. The family is urging anyone with information to come forward to the authorities.

“You took him from so many possibilities before the age of 21. You know, I would never forget. Never. I can forgive, but I would never forget because I would never be able to hug my son again,” Brittany added.